


Siblingship: These are strange times.

by arfrid



Series: Siblingship AU [Stranger Things (2016)] [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen, Good Sibling Maxine "Max" Mayfield, No Billy Hargrove yay, Not saying what the AU is about ;)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25526233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arfrid/pseuds/arfrid
Summary: It's been over a year since the whole Upside-Down shit happened and Eleven disappeared. Mike still misses her, but still goes to the Arcade with his friends. It's all normal (as normal as it can be) until the name MADMAX makes Dustin leave the arcade in a hurry.Then everything goes to shit.
Relationships: Dustin Henderson & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Jim "Chief" Hopper, Jonathan Byers & Joyce Byers & Will Byers, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair
Series: Siblingship AU [Stranger Things (2016)] [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849450
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Siblings are annoying.

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Right-Side Up: Til the Landslide Brought Me Down](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13046202) by [midas_touch_of_angst](https://archiveofourown.org/users/midas_touch_of_angst/pseuds/midas_touch_of_angst). 



**CHAPTER ONE  
  
** _Siblings are annoying._   
  


“I hate this overpriced bullshit! Son of a bitch! Piece of shit!” Dustin kicked the arcade machine as Dirk the Daring was burnt to a crisp.

“You’re just not nimble enough, but you’ll get there one day.” Lucas said reassuringly but triumphantly. “Until then, Princess Daphne is still mine.”

“Whatever. I’m still top on Centipede _and_ Dig Dug.” Dustin said. Keith, an employee at the arcade, came up to them with a bag of chips. They all looked at him confusedly.

“You sure about that?” He asked him with a smile.

“Sure about what?” Dustin replied. When Keith just ate another chip, Dustin looked over at Centipede to see the blurry name of someone on number 1 of the leaderboard.

“Hey, move, no, no, no, no, it’s- no!” He groaned in annoyance as he saw the flashing name of MADMAX on the leaderboard and gasping as he saw the score of said person.

“751,300 points!” Will clarified for himself and for the others.

“That’s impossible.” Mike argued.

Everyone looked at Dustin confused when he said, “How the shit did she get…” He trailed off, seeing their confused faces.

“Wait, who the hell’s Mad Max?” Mike exclaimed. Dustin sighed as Mike argued with Keith.

“I’ve got to go, sorry guys.” He told them. They all (except Keith) looked at him with disbelief.

“What? We’ve only been 45 minutes here.” Mike reasoned as Dustin picked up his bag and started running out. None of them noticed Will walking out.

“Look, man, I’ve gotta go.” He shrugged, walking backwards so he still faced them. Mike shook his head and looked around to find no Will. Lucas watched Dustin go in disbelief.

“Mike, can you believe-” Lucas started, but then turned around to see Mike and Will had gone. Lucas sighed and started playing again.

Dustin angrily ran to his house and knocked on the door impatiently. A redhead with ocean eyes answered the door. She was already wearing pajamas, which consisted of a too-big green T-Shirt and light blue shorts.

“Sup Loser.” She greeted him kindly, holding a homemade smoothie.

“Why the hell did you beat my score, Max?” He asked angrily, as Max plopped herself on the couch, cross-legged.

“I beat your ass at everything. You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific.” She replied, averting her eyes to the TV. It was now playing a commercial and she groaned.

Dustin sighed and sat next to her, “Dig Dug and Centipede.” He clarified, “You embarrassed me in front of my friends, dude!”

“You have friends?” She asked in mock amazement.

“Max, be good to your brother!” Claudia scolded from the kitchen.

“Sorry.” Max said, though she didn’t look remotely apologetic. “Anyways, what do you want to watch, Dusty?”

“Don’t call me that.” He glared at her. “And uh, let’s watch the Goonies.”

“Come on, we’ve seen that a million times. Let’s watch E.T.” And with that, she put the VHS in, and they started watching.


	2. The reason she's here is explained.

**CHAPTER TWO  
  
** _The reason she's here is explained._

The boys calmly put their bikes on the racks, nervously waiting for Dustin to come. It wasn’t like him to come late; he loved school. A thousand thoughts circled their mind. _What if the Demogorgon caught him? What if he’s trapped in the Upside-Down? What if—_

Their thoughts were interrupted as they saw Dustin’s car pulling over into the parking lot. Then smiled in relief, Will especially. Then they frowned as they saw an unfamiliar redhead arguing with Dustin. They got out the car, still arguing until Claudia said something to them. Dustin and the girl walked over irritably, the latter pulling out a skateboard and skating right past them.

“See you in class, idiot!” She called out to him and Dustin flipped the bird at her. He caught sight of his friends’ looks and groaned.

“Forget it, you’ll see in class.” He told them grumpily as he walked into school. The boys exchanged glances, then followed him in; Dustin was usually so amiable and optimistic. A bit of anger welled inside Mike; who the hell was this redheaded chick to make his friends mad?  
  
  


When they walked inside, they found Dustin already in his seat, watching the Teacher’s desk with a small glare. They uneasily walked to their chairs as Mr. Clarke eagerly told them about the brain.

The door opened, and all attention snapped to whoever walked in. Apart from Dustin, who’s glare snapped towards the girl.

“Ah, this must be our new student.” Mr. Clarke asked the principal. The redhead stopped in front of the desk, then started walking the desk in the far-left corner of the classroom, hoping that she wouldn’t get called up.

“All right, hold up there.” Mr. Clarke told her, pointing one arm towards her. “You don’t get away that easy. Come on up. Don’t be shy.” Both Dustin and the girl rolled their eyes at almost the exact same time. The redhead walked back up beside the teacher’s desk.

“Dustin, drum roll.” He told him.

“No, thank you, sir.” Dustin said politely. The boys and Mr. Clarke looked at him incredulously.

“Dustin, come on. You do it every time we get a new student.” Mr. Clarke urged him. Dustin raised an eyebrow.

“And when was the last time we had one of those?” He asked smartly. Now, even the other kids were surprised at Dustin’s actions. Even while bullied, he was usually somewhat polite.

“I, uhm…”

“Come on, Dustin. Just do it so I can go to my seat already.” Whined the redhead girl. She already looked bored standing up. Dustin sighed, closed his book and started tapping.

“Uhm… Class. Welcome, from our very own Hawkins, but also from California, Maxine!” Dustin held back a chuckle, watching as Max’s face shifted from boredom to annoyance.

“It’s Max.” She told him uncomfortably.

“Sorry?”

“Nobody calls me Maxine. It’s Max.”

“Well, all aboard Max. Oh, and class, I forgot to mention, this is Dustin’s twin sister, Max Henderson.”

There were a few gasps. Will, Lucas and Mike’s eyes widened. Dustin, however stuck his tongue out at her. In return, Max stuck hers out as she walked to her seat. Quite a few heads turned and watched her as she sat down.

“She’s your…–” Lucas gasped, but was cut off by their teacher explaining a few more things about the brain.

“Dude, what the heck?!” Lucas cornered him in the privacy of the AV Club room.

“She’s my twin sister. End of story.” Dustin told them irritably. Lucas’ glare deepened.

“Friends don’t lie. You’re our friend but you hid your _twin_ sister from us. For years!” Mike said testily. “How do you even _do_ that?”

“I showed you a picture of her when we were really young. And I think we played with her a bit.” Dustin said quietly. Lucas’ glare turned into a frown as he thought. Will and Mike wore similar expressions.

“I think I remember a girl playing with us when we were like… Eight? It was only once.” Will finally said. Dustin nodded.

"That doesn't explain why she wasn't here at school with us." Mike reasoned. Dustin took a deep, annoyed breath.

“Okay. Fine. The reason you didn’t see my sister here was because she was homeschooled for a while. For a few times she visited our dad in California. Each time, our dad acted like he wanted Max, but when she got there, he basically neglected her. 4 times social services called her. She just got back, like, a month ago, and she wanted to be homeschooled again, but her mom decided she should have some friends. Happy?”

And with that, he walked out, leaving 3 surprised pre-teens alone in the room.


	3. Mews would make a great horror movie monster.

**CHAPTER THREE**

_Mews would make a great horror movie monster_

After going to arcade with Max, Dustin, Lucas and Max head home. Max is skating, as usual.

“Mike?” Dustin calls into his microphone that’s wired to the walkie-talkie in his back-pack. Max rolled her eyes and zoomed a bit faster.

 _“H-Hello, is it you?”_ Mike’s voice came from the intercom. The urgency and desperation in his voice made Max slow down slightly.

“Yeah, it’s me Dustin. Can you just say to Max that bikes are better and faster than stupid skateboards?”

“No, they’re not. I can go fast with this and stuff it in my bag. Can you?” She argued.

“Hey, skateboards are cool.” At Dustin’s look of anger and betrayal, he added, “Of course though, bikes are far more superior.”

Dustin nodded then turned to Max.

“See, even Lucas says so!” He told him triumphantly. “Mike? Mike? He turned it off. Someone’s angsty today.”

“Mike is always angsty.” Lucas replied. “Ever since El…”

“Ever since forever. He’s always been angsty.” Dustin said quickly and urgently. Lucas mouthed _Oh_ and nodded.

“Anyways, Max, wanna join the party?” Lucas said out the blue. Max blinked in surprise and stared at him strangely. Dustin stopped and glared at him. Lucas and Max also stopped.

“Dude!”

“What?”

“First of all, Mike’s not gonna like it, and second, she’s my sister!”

“Oh, so just cause I’m your sister that means that I can’t have the same friends as you?!” Max said outrageously.

“Plus that, and two other reasons. One: If I remember correctly, our party isn’t a dictatorship.”

“Yeah, but—”

“And _two_ : didn’t you say she wants new friends?”

“Yeah, but…” Dustin groaned. “Fine. Max, you’re coming with us for Halloween.”

“Mom would have made me anyway.”

“True. Later, Lucas.”

“Later. Bye, Max.” Max and Dustin rode through to their house. Max got off her board and put it next to where Dustin had put his bike.

The trash can made a few chirping noises that made them stop in their tracks and look at the trash can.

“Mews?” Dustin asked, looking at the trash can.

“Mews, if that’s you, you would make a great horror movie monster.” Max noted.

“Shut up, Max.” Dustin told her as they decided it was nothing and walked into the house together, still bickering about skateboards and bikes.


	4. Hiding in the trash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter than usual but meh

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_Hiding in the trash_

"I want to see those pearls!” Claudia beamed as she took another picture of Max and Dustin in their Ghostbusters outfits. Dustin’s had _STANTZ_ written on it while Max’s had _BARRETT_ on hers. It was very cheesy and embarrassing. They both liked it, since they both liked Ghostbusters. Besides, their outfits were _super_ cool in their opinion.

Mews sat on the couch, watching them. Claudia often made little comments as they did different poses for the pictures, such as: “Who you gonna call?” “Oh, beautiful!” “My babies are growing up!”

Eventually she let them go to school. Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Max sang Ghostbusters on the way to school.

Will joined in. “Ghostbusters!”

They then proceeded to argue about the fact that Lucas was Venkman but Mike was also Venkman, when Dustin noted that all the rest of the kids didn’t wear costumes.

Dustin remarked at how it was a conspiracy. A few kids who made fun of them regretted it, for the boys that picked on them were kicked in the shin by Max.

At night after school, they went house to house to get some candy.

“Hey, why don’t we go hit up Loch Lora? I mean, all the rich kids live there.” Max asked, which none of them seemed against. Except Mike. Mike didn’t seem to like Max that much. While Lucas and Max went ahead, debating about which roads were best for skating, Dustin went behind, next to Will and Mike.

“Hey, Mike?” Mike looked over at him, “What do you have against Max?”

Mike looked sullen again, like he chose a bad subject. “Nothing. Just reminds me of someone. Oh, and also the fact that she’s your _twin sister_ who you kept hidden for like, _five_ years.”

“Woah, woah, dude!” Dustin stopped him. Will looked at them curiously, but Dustin motioned at him to go ahead. He shrugged and did so. “It’s not her fault dad wanted her to go to California with him like 5 times and it’s also not her fault that your girlfriend disappeared!”

Dustin said the word _“dad”_ with such loathing, it took Mike by surprise. His surprise quickly turned to anger.

“Why didn’t you tell me she was coming?”

“Don’t change the subject, Mike!”

“I’m not! It’s the same subject!”

“No, it’s—”

“Mike!” Will’s voice came out like an echo. Dustin and Mike looked around confusedly.

“Oh, shit.” Dustin saw the camera on the floor and picked it up. “Good. The camera isn’t—wait, if the camera’s here, where’s Will?”

“Will!” Mike remembered a scene like this all too well; when Will went missing, and they had found Eleven while looking for him and calling his name.

“Will!” Dustin and Mike called out. Mike turned a corner looked under a stair and there he was. He was in a sitting position with his knees drawn up to his chin and his hands on it his ears. Mike immediately leant down and shook him.

“Will, what’s wrong?” Mike asked him worriedly. Dustin leant down next to him and looked at Will. “Are you hurt?”

“Did you have another episode?” Dustin asked. Lucas and Max quickly ran down, Max looked concerned and Lucas worried.

“Is he okay?” Lucas asked.

“I don’t know.” Dustin told them honestly. Mike suddenly got up, supporting his friend’s weight.

“Woah there, Mike? I’ll help—” Dustin told him, getting up as well. Mike waved his hands away, then told them that he and Will were going home.

“But, Mike…” Max started. Dustin saved Mike from cutting her off. “Doesn’t matter.” He replied harshly. Mike walked away with Will.

“What’s wrong with him?” Max asked, confusion evident in her voice. Dustin didn’t answer. He didn’t want to drag her into this whole mess.

“Go home, Max.” He told her rudely, then walked away. He knew it was mean, but he didn’t want anything to happen to her. If she got taken to the upside-down…

No. He wouldn’t let that happen.

Dustin and Max walked home together, not sharing any words. Apparently, she had kept trick-or-treating, somewhat subdued.

They just reached the porch when Dustin stopped Max. She looked at him coldly. He didn’t like that look. It reminded him of their dad.

“Look, Max.” He started, making a point to look in her eyes. “I’m sorry for earlier, that was a bit of a dick move.”

Max raised her eyebrows, said “Yeah, no shit.” and started walking towards the door.

“Max!” Dustin argued, following her. Max turned around, a cold anger in her eyes, but he was saved from getting yelled at from a sound from the trashcan.

They both turned to it.

“Mews?” Max asked. There was no mocking in her voice. “Mews, is that—”

The whole trashcan rattled. Dustin dropped his bag, and by the sound of it, Max had too. They shared a look, and he nodded, taking out his Ghostbuster pipe-thing out and ready to take on whatever it was. Max looked the same, yet slightly more confidently. They walked towards it uncertainly with him taking up the rear. Not that he was _scared_ , of course.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit.” He chanted. Max turned her head and shushed him, then pointed at the trashcan, then her proton blaster, then put a finger on her lips in a shushing gesture. He nodded, letting her walk ahead.

She whispered “On three.”

He gripped his proton blaster, “One.”

 _“Two.”_ Max said.

“Three!” They both yelled, throwing the lid off and pointing their proton blasters at whatever it was.

They were stunned. Max frowned at it, and Dustin assumed he was, too.

“What the hell?”


End file.
